just a brief thing before i read from this -- this is a letter that maryann wrote to her parents on board this ship, a brief crater taking her from new york to pakistan, and from there she moved to lahor. this was the first of the letters i found at the new york public library, which was my introduction to margaret markus. may 1962, the torch. this was posted from egypt. after all our good-byes after you, mother, betty, and walter walked down the gangplank and drove off, i was overcome with dread. i stood at the deck rail for a long time stricken. the excitement. weeks leading to departure gone. when it pulled up, the lights of the city dimmed, it was a black ocean swallowing everything i had ever known. it took some time and many prayers before my fear began to subside. she goes on to tell her parents about the various odd characters on board, and, you know, there's a captain and his greek crew who are very suspicious of her -- this journey that she was making to pakistan. mother, you imagined i was going to need my nice silk dress for dining and dancing on board. i was happy to leave th